


Fractured Reflections

by AceAxolotl



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Video Game)
Genre: (kind of but not really) - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, I don't know what I'm doing but I'm gonna have a good time doing it, I'll tag the ships when (if) they appear, Post-Game, Spoilers for literally EVERYTHING please beware
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:54:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25061215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceAxolotl/pseuds/AceAxolotl
Summary: In the wake of two tremendous journeys, two severed pieces of an ancient world have rejoined into something new. It was only a matter of time until this world's inhabitants took notice of the changes.The path towards unity is not always an easy one; even for those who could achieve the impossible.
Comments: 29
Kudos: 68





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Y'all know that one theory that's like "what if in the ending of Xenoblade 2 they end up in the new world from Xenoblade 1" ? That's perfect material for self-indulgent fanfic which is exactly what this is

It started with a rumor.

A group of Nopon, self-proclaimed treasure hunters, had gone sailing off on a Titanship in search of any potential riches this new world had to offer. They were not the first ones to do so, but they were the first to come back with results.

Sailing off into the unknown, the group were about to call it quits when a sudden storm blew them way off course, and as the rain cleared, a mysterious landmass came into view.

The nopon claimed they couldn’t get any closer as a large green monster had “suddenly and very conveniently showed up and attacked.”

It would’ve been nothing more than a good story, something for Argentum’s salvagers to laugh at over a pint at the Rumbletum Canteen, had the treasure hunters not come back with a glittering green scale, stolen from the monster as proof of their discovery.

The treasure hunters were not shy about their brilliant find, and as more and more scientists tried and failed to identify anything about the origins of this scale, the trade guild erupted into a frenzy. Drivers and blades flocked to Argentum’s docks. Salvagers and merchants alike left in droves to cross the open waters. Everyone wanted to be the first person to officially set foot on this mysterious new continent.

**///**

“Ugh, are we _there yet_?”

“Mythra, if we were there, don’t you think we’d see something by now?” Nia huffed. This was the third time Mythra has asked today, and it wasn’t even the afternoon yet. The gormotti girl was starting to lose her patience.

To be fair, a lot of them were. They’d been traveling on Azurda’s back for days now, just one of the many groups out exploring the open ocean in the wake of the nopon treasure hunters’ discovery. When the news had reached all the way to Fonsett Village, Rex had been ecstatic, and without further preamble, the party had packed up and set sail (save for Morag and Zeke, who were far too busy to be making any journeys).

It had sounded like a good idea at the time. In the aftermath of Alrest joining with Elysium, a strange sense of normalcy had established itself within the party. Morag, Brighid, Zeke, and Pandoria returned to their respective nations to aid their people in settling into the new land. The others, with nowhere else to really go, settled with Rex in Fonsett village.

Living in such a quiet, secluded place was refreshing and relaxing; Nia loved being there, but even she had to admit that their lives had gotten a little stale. Sometimes the days would blend into each other, and sometimes Nia caught herself being nostalgic for the times they’d spent adventuring around Alrest, regardless of all the danger and heartache they’d gone through.

Perhaps that was why no one argued when Rex initially proposed they set out to find this “mystery land” he’d heard about from the Argentum salvagers.

But now, after a whole five days of nothing but ocean, the group was at their wit’s end. Poppi had made their job significantly easier by detecting the landmass two days into their journey (bless Tora and his inventive skills), but that just meant there was more time for the anticipation to eat at them.

“Oh come on, don’t act like you’re not wondering the same thing.” Mythra pouted.

Nia sighed in resignation, sitting down and leaning against Dromarch, who had busied himself with sunbathing. “That’s fair.” She grumbled, tilting her head towards the base of Azurda’s neck, where their makeshift bunker sat. “Hey, Poppi, how much further?”

The artificial blade turned towards them at the mention of her name, looking down at the group from her perch on top of Azurda’s head. “Poppi estimates there is still 50 miles until destination. Actually, at current speed, should be there in couple of hours.”

“Wait, for real?” Mythra perked up immediately. “Finally!”

Nia hummed in agreement. She was too embarrassed to show it herself, but the same kind of excitement bubbled in her chest. “What d’ya think we’ll find?”

Mythra smirked. “I want to find that ‘monster’ those hunters were talking about. I bet it looks cool as hell. How about you?”

Nia hummed in thought. She hadn’t really given it much insight, but the reality was starting to hit her. An entirely new continent, unexplored by anyone. The possibilities could be endless. “I dunno, actually.” She shrugged.

“Well, that’s boring.” Mythra said. “Pyra? Tora? How about you guys?” She called to the bunker.

The two of them had been busy with lunch preparations, but Tora turned around at the question. Apparently, he’d been listening the whole time. “Oh! Oh! Tora know!” The young nopon boy jumped with glee. “Want to find lots of delicious new foods. Maybe even parts to upgrade Poppi!”

“Poppi would love new upgrade!” The artificial blade’s voice called out. “Want new enhancement for ‘Tora-Punishment’ Mode.”

“What?! Why Poppi want that?” Tora sputtered.

Pyra chuckled at their antics, taking a break from stirring a boiling stewpot to turn back towards the rest of the group. “I think I’d like to find new kinds of food as well. It’d be fun to come up with some new recipes!” She smiled. “Azurda? Dromarch? What about you guys?”

“Hrm,” the ground beneath them rumbled gently as Azurda craned his neck to face everyone. “I want to know what, or who, this place is. Besides Elysium and the World Tree, I’ve never in all my years heard of a landmass that wasn’t a titan.”

“Good point.” Mythra frowned. “The rumors said this place wasn’t a stray Titan, but I don’t know what else it could possibly be.”

Nia shrugged. “Maybe it really is a Titan and those nopon just didn’t get a good look at it.”

From behind her, Dromarch stirred, ears twitching as he listened in on the conversation. “Perhaps. But this is an entirely new world we’re living in. There might be more to it than we initially thought.”

“Yeah…” Nia hummed. “Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

“The food’s ready!” Pyra called from the bunker. “Can someone call Rex back and tell him?”

“On it,” Mythra said, making her way to Azurda’s lower back, where Rex’s salvaging gear was located. She stepped onto the platform and gave the wire tethering Rex two sharp tugs.

A few moments later, Rex’s signature helmet broke the surface of the water, the boy pulling himself back onto Azurda and lifting his helmet off. “You guys, look what I found!” He beamed, grabbing for the wiring of his gear and pulling. The group gathered around, eager to see what Rex had discovered.

Yet all that came up was a ragged piece of metal.

“Seriously?” Nia sniffed. “It just looks like a hunk of junk to me.”

Rex shrugged. “Guess you don’t have an eye for this stuff, then.” Gently, he untangled the piece of metal from the salvaging equipment, laying it out flat on Azurda’s back. From this angle, it caught the light a little better, and the group could see what appeared to be a sheet of some sort of black, metallic substance. Faint yellowed lines ran through the panels of the sheet, giving off the eerie appearance of veins.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before.” Rex grinned. “We really are in brand new territory!”

**///**

After lunch had been eaten and cleaned up, the group had settled into a game of Castle Poker. They were just about to start their second round when Azurda craned his neck once more, “Everyone, come take a look.” He motioned with his head.

All thoughts of the game had been abandoned, as the group rushed to climb onto Azurda’s head and neck to get a better view of what laid before them.

“Oh, wow.” Pyra gasped.

Peeking out from the horizon was what appeared to be a massive piece of land, rocks covered in greenery jutting out of the water at odd angles. Strangely enough, it looked half-submerged, the tallest cliffs bearing an uncanny resemblance to claws. It was as if the land had, indeed, once been a titan, a hand reaching upwards in a desperate attempt to escape an unsavory fate.

Some thousand feet above the landmass, however, was an even more amazing sight. Another massive stretch of land sat perched in the sky, almost incredulously. It defied all sense of physics, yet it seemed to float there with no problem whatsoever.

There was a long silence, the group trying to process everything that they were seeing.

“W-what amazing view!” Tora stuttered, flapping his wings and jumping in the air. “Tora cannot believe this place real!”

“I couldn’t have said it better.” Rex breathed, his eyes fixated on the hovering landmass in front of them. Excitement sparkled in his eyes. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go check it out!”

Pyra shook her head. “Where do we even start, though? This place is huge!”

“Err….”

“How about up there?” Mythra pointed to the floating island. “It looks relatively safer than those cliffs. Plus, I’ve had enough of all this water for a while.”

“Oh, good idea!” Rex nodded. “Think you can do it, Gramps?”

“Leave it to me.” Azura said, raising his wings out from the water and giving them a test flap. Water splashed everywhere, and the rest of the group had to retreat into the bunker to keep from getting drenched.

Higher and higher they climbed into the air, until Rex was brave enough to peek his head out from the bunker. “How’s it looking?” He shouted at Azurda.

“Come take a look!” The titan called back, straightening his back so that the rest of the group would have more space to walk. Immediately, everyone piled back outside, eager to get more glimpse of this mysterious new land.

After a while, they finally reached the same level as the landmass, yet Azurda slowed in his progress. “What is that?” He frowned.

Rex overheard the titan’s mumbling and climbed closer to Azurda. “What’s what?” The boy said, peering out towards the horizon. “ _Whoa!”_

“Rex?” Pyra called. “Everything alright?”

“You guys, take a look at this!”

The group climbed back on top of Azurda’s head, much to the titan’s chagrin.

On the horizon laid the top of the landmass; a wide, beautiful stretch of grass not unlike Gormott’s famous plains. Cliffs stretched in every direction, waterfalls cascaded into lakes and rivers carved through the land. Just as the nopon hunters had described, they could spot several large green creatures in the distance, gliding through the air above.

Most noticeably, however, was the gigantic structure hovering just over the edge on the other side. It’s sleek, metallic appearance was in stark contrast to the natural landscaping around it, making it incredibly easy to spot.

“What _is_ that?” Nia gaped.

Mythra frowned and squinted at the structure, trying to get a better sight. “It looks… manmade.”

“How is this possible?” Dromarch asked. “Everything and everyone was brought to Elysium by the Architect.”

“We don’t know that for sure, though.” Pyra furrowed her brows, mulling over the other blade’s words. “What if that landmass below was once a titan, and when we all moved to Elysium, it couldn’t make it far enough to fuse with the land and died?” She mused.

“Okay, but then why has no one ever heard of this place before until now?” Nia said.

“Err..”

“If people live here, why not just go and ask?” Tora’s voice piped up, the nopon looking quite pleased with himself at finding such a simple solution.

Rex nodded towards the smaller boy. “Oh yeah, good idea!”

“What?” Nia sputtered. “No! That’s a horrible idea! We have _no idea_ what we’re dealing with out here, Rex! Even if there are people, how do we know they’re friendly? What if they attack as soon as they see us?”

“Then I’ll just scorch them, duh.” Mythra joked, playfully nudging Nia.

Pyra shifted uncomfortably. “I think I’m with Nia on this one. We shouldn’t rush into this without some sort of plan.”

Rex bit his lip. “Ehh, I guess you’re right.” He said reluctantly.

“I’ll find us a place to land away from that structure, then.” Azurda said. “The rest of you should get yourselves ready.”

**///**

“Your Highness!”

Melia stopped her stroll through the halls of the Imperial Palace, turning around to face the source of the voice. “Maxis?”

The high entia commander stood before her, his face twisted with worry. Her mood immediately soured. She hadn’t seen him like this since the incident with the Fog King. It had only been three months since they’d reclaimed the capital, and her subsequent coronation. The rebuilding effort, while making significant headway, was still not complete. Whatever Maxis’ business was, she sincerely hoped it wasn’t dangerous. “Is something the matter?”

Maxis nodded. “I’ve just received a report that the capital’s defenses have detected an unknown flying vessel approaching Alcamoth. No one can identify what it is.”

“A flying vessel…?” Melia trailed off, her mind racing with possibilities. Was this another attack?!

“See for yourself.” Maxis said, reaching behind him to pull out a grainy image display and handing it over to Melia.

The princess took it graciously, her eyes eagerly scanning for details.

Disturbingly enough, she couldn’t identify what was in the photo either. She initially hoped it had been the possibility of the machina developing a new type of ship; but that idea was quickly thrown out the window once she realized the soldiers could easily recognize a machina-made ship. That, and the form didn’t look mechanical at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. The closer Melia examined the image, the more details she could make out. Wings, a long neck, a horned head. It almost looked like a living being, and if it had a greener color Melia might have mistaken it for a new kind of telethia.

She handed the photo back to Maxis. “I’ve never seen anything like this, either.”

Maxis frowned. “What should we do, then?”

Melia paused for a moment, considering her options. So far, they had no further information to go off of than the mysterious photograph. Yet whatever it was, it couldn’t simply be ignored. If this did, in fact, prove to be a threat, it was Melia’s duty to eliminate it before it could cause any serious harm.

“Track the vessel from the skies and dispatch a squadron to Soltnar Seal Island. If it lands on the shoulder, I want them to find it and investigate.”

**///**

A fair distance into flying over the land, and Azurda had found a lake to situate himself in. It was a fair distance from the metal structure, and the lake provided a good spot for Azurda to easily take off from, should the need arise.

The titan landed on the lake without any complications, settling himself into the center. “Alright, we’re here.” He announced. “Do you all have a plan ready?”

“Thanks, Gramps!” Rex smiled up at the titan. He took a moment to readjust the hookshot on his sleeve, then slung a brown rucksack over his shoulder. Beside him, everyone else was making similar preparations, with Pyra and Dromarch packing last minute snacks and Tora fussing over Poppi. “And yeah. We’re gonna start by having a quick look around the area to make sure it’s safe. Mythra volunteered to start drawing a map.” He motioned towards the girl in question, who was busying herself with scribbling on a spare sheet of paper. “We’ll come back in an hour to give you an update!”

“Alright.” Azurda hummed his approval, floating closer towards the lake’s shore to allow his passengers to get off. “Be careful, all of you.”

One by one, the group jumped from Azurda’s back and climbed onto the shore. Pyra was the last to jump off, turning back to wave to the titan. “We will! You be careful too, Azurda.” She smiled.

The titan nodded, turning around to swim closer to the lake’s center. Nia, meanwhile, had taken to scanning the immediate area. “Okay, where to first?” She said.

“Over here!” Poppi flapped her arm, pointing to the left of the shore. “Poppi see something!”

Several heads craned to look at what she was talking about. A few yards in front of them was a shallow river that was being fed by the lake, but beyond that was what appeared to be a tunnel, closed off by a wooden gate.

“A gate.” Dromarch pondered aloud. “So there are people living here, after all.”

“I think we should go find them, then.” Rex said.

Nia frowned, crossing her arms in front of her. “We just went over this, Rex. It’s too dangerous. If no one on Alrest has ever seen this place before, that means these people have never seen _us_ before, either. What if they see us as a threat and attack?”

“But what if they’re friendly?” Rex argued. “Maybe they could help us figure out what this place is and how it got here. It wouldn’t hurt to at least try.”

A wave of silence hung over the group, each person contemplating the options. “Let’s take a vote then.” Pyra suggested. “All in favor of Rex’s plan?”

Mythra and Tora put their hands up. Poppi followed Tora’s lead shortly after.

“Oh come on, that’s not fair.” Nia grumbled. Her ears turned downwards in dissatisfaction.

Mythra put a hand on her hip, smiling at Nia. “It’ll be fine, did you forget how strong we all are? We can handle ourselves if a fight breaks out.”

The gormotti girl didn’t seem quite convinced, giving a resignated sigh. “Fine, but if we run into a nasty situation, I’m blaming it on you.”

Without further delay, the group set out from the lake shore. It didn’t take them long to cross the river and open up the gate; thankfully, it wasn’t locked.

The cavernous pass let the group out onto an open plain, orange-colored grass growing wildly and swaying in the breeze. A worn dirt path cut through the center, leading off into the direction of the floating metallic structure.

“Looks like we’re getting closer to that structure.” Pyra mused. Her eyes had been practically glued to the thing from the moment they set out, and the closer they got the more details the team had been able to make out.

What had initially appeared to be a large, towered dome was actually a conglomeration of several smaller, oval-like structures, clinging to something in the middle that looked suspiciously like a building.

“Yeah…” Nia frowned. She didn’t quite like the look of it. Compared to their more natural surroundings, the buildings stuck out quite strikingly. Along with the way it seemed to float so naturally in the air, the whole sight gave off such a strange, otherworldly feeling. The gormotti girl couldn’t help but be reminded of the World Tree; a place haunted by death and forgotten secrets.

“Hey, wait. Look over there.” Mythra said, pointing to a spot further in front of them. The path had led them through the fields and onwards to a cliff face. Peeking just beyond the other side of the cliff, one could see another small island. Another building was resting there, and it bore a striking resemblance to the mysterious floating structure.

The group paused to gaze out at the scene, trying to figure out what it was and what to do with this new information. They barely heard the sound of approaching footsteps and the clinking of armor.

“Stop!” A voice called out.

Immediately, the others spun around. Standing in front of them were about a dozen of what they could only assume were the native people they were looking for. Yet their faces were concealed by masks, and in their arms were rapiers and large shields. On the tops of their heads were brilliant white wings, unlike anything anyone had ever see before. Were they part of the helmets? Were these people blades of some kind?

Tora squeaked in alarm, fumbling for his drill-shield. Nia had already drawn her rings, body tensed and ready to attack.

Rex’s first instinct was the same, a hand reaching for the bright red blade nestled behind his back. He paused, hand resting on the hilt, when he realized no one had started attacking yet. That was a good sign, right?

The boy took it as an opportunity, releasing his grip on his sword and lifting his hands in the air in a gesture of peace. “Wait! We didn’t come here for a fight!” He said quickly. “We’re just curious, is all!” Rex nodded towards Nia and Tora, the nopon nodding and putting his weapon away. Nia growled lowly and reluctantly did the same.

Across from them, the strangers did not make a move to put away their own weapons. In fact, they hardly moved at all. Rex could feel himself starting to shrivel under their gaze; which was ironic, considering he couldn’t see their faces at all. Yet still they did not attack, so the driver decided to take that as a victory.

Finally, one of the people stepped forward from the crowd. “Who…” the figure stole a glance at Poppi and Dromarch. “or _what_ are you? Where did you come from?” A male voice spoke, commanding and intimidating.

Rex tried to swallow any doubt that had been growing in his mind and took a step forward. He smiled. “My name’s Rex.” Keeping his arms in the air, he gestured vaguely towards the rest of the group. “These are all my friends. We’re from a land called Alrest.”

“Alrest?” The figure spoke incredulously. “I’ve never heard of such a place.”

“Yeah, well, we’ve never heard of this area before, so I guess it goes both ways.” Mythra stated.

The figure paused, then shook his head. “No. That’s not possible…”

“Huh?” Nia said.

A long silence was her answer. The man in front of them was motionless. Since his face was covered by a mask, the group could only guess as to what he was thinking.

Finally, he spoke up once more. “Why have you come here?”

Rex furrowed his brows. “Just for the sake of it, I suppose.” He shrugged. “We heard all these rumors in Argentum about a new land discovered by this group of nopon. So, we thought it’d be fun to see if we could find it.”

There was a stressful pause as the figure seemed to process the words. Yet, as he did, he eventually lowered his weapon. The figures behind him shared a few looks, then reluctantly did the same.

“Well. Rex, was it?” He said. “I’m sorry, but we cannot allow you and your friends to have free reign over the Shoulder.”

“Huh?” Rex said quizzically. “… Did you say ‘shoulder’? Is that was this place is called, then?”

The figure didn’t deign to answer him. Instead, he kept talking. “We will escort you to Alcamoth.” Rather than a suggestion, it was worded as a command. “I would have you speak to the Empress.”


	2. The Second Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I gotta say I was NOT expecting this fic to get so much attention! Thank you so much to all the people who left comments and kudos, seeing all y'all's feedback made me really happy, I'm glad you guys are enjoying this fic!!!
> 
> Also note that there's a brief mention of Alvis/Kallian but it's like one sentence so I'm not gonna tag the ship bc I don't want people to get their hopes up

Alcamoth was…. _bizarre_.

There was no other way to describe it. Rex had thought the exterior looked strange enough; he was thoroughly surprised when the soldiers had led them to a not-so-safe looking ‘teleporter’ and explained that the gigantic floating structure in front of them was actually a city.

The interior looked much the same as the outside; the streets, pillars, and stairways (if you could even call them that) had an immaculate sheen to them, smooth and sleek. Small gardens were strewn about the area, a variety of flowers that Rex couldn’t name blooming wildly; it was in stark contrast to the surrounding infrastructure, and yet seemed to fit in so naturally with the environment. A closer inspection would have shown some areas looked a bit more rough than others, with chips and cracks in the fountains and roads, and stray pieces of thick glass laying in the grass.

Rex had little time to even notice, let alone think about it, as the soldiers led them down the main street and towards the largest of the stairwells. It didn’t take long for the city’s other inhabitants to notice the arrival of strangers, and as the group walked onwards, a crowd was beginning to develop.

The Aegis driver was thankful, at least, to see some people who looked like them. Other humans and nopon, though dressed oddly, were scattered amongst a gathering of people he had never seen before.

A good portion of them had wings on their heads, in all different sizes, just as the soldiers did. Which meant Rex’s initial assumption of the appendages being a helmet attachment was _completely wrong._ Yet these people weren’t blades, either. As a matter of fact, Rex couldn’t spot a single person in the crowd with a core crystal embedded in their chest. Whoever these people were, it was now obvious they were neither human nor blade, but something completely new.

What was most definitely _not_ human were the tallest of beings amongst the crowd. Imposingly large, with skin colored in various shades of gray. Bits and pieces of metal stuck out from their bodies, and Rex almost thought that they could be artificial, like Poppi. Except the designs marking their forms (clothes, perhaps?) looked far too intricate to have been made by hand. Rex couldn’t figure it out. Were they machines, or people?

The question would have to wait for another time, as the group was brought to the end of the main road and through an arched entryway. There was no door, but there must have been some unspoken rule about entering this area, as the crowd of civilians didn’t follow them inside.

Once through the entryway, the hall immediately opened up into a wide, spacious area. It looked a little empty to Rex, with only three fountains, pillars, and a set of stairs at the far end. Nevertheless, the soldiers guided them down the hall.

They were just about to make a turn when Pyra’s timid voice broke the uneasy silence. “Um. Can I ask a question?”

“You just did.” The masked man, who had initially spoken to them, looked back at her. His voice was mostly flat, but did Rex just hear a hint of amusement?

Pyra blushed. “Oh. Sorry…” There was a beat of silence, and as Pyra realized the soldiers had stopped their advance and the figure was still looking at her, she took it as permission. The fire blade pointed to the fountain set between the hall’s main staircase. A mural was embedded into the wall, just behind the fountain. It looked ancient, carved from stone and cracked at the edges. “What is that?”

The man followed her gaze and spotted the engraving. “That is a mural, depicting the ancient battle between the Bionis and the Mechonis.”

“Never heard of ‘em.” Nia frowned, crossing her arms in front of her. Still, her sight was fixated on the odd stone as well. “They kinda look like titans, though.”

“Indeed.” Dromarch said.

“That is because they are.” The masked man said. Then he paused. “Wait… you know what titans are, and yet you don’t know the Bionis and Mechonis?”

“Yep.” Nia nodded.

There was a beat of silence. No doubt the man was trying to process this new information, just as Rex and the others were struggling to do in their new surroundings.

Ultimately, the man decided to drop the subject altogether. He turned to the right, where Rex could see a new passageway branch off from the main hall. “Your rooms are this way. Please, follow me.” He guided them towards the passageway, where another ‘teleporter’ was waiting for them. Rex suppressed a groan; the last one they had walked through was unpleasant enough. Still, he didn’t argue as the soldiers ushered him and the others to step inside.

The teleporter dropped them into another hallway, though this one was much shorter and led directly to a metal doorway. It automatically slid open upon their approach, allowing Rex and the others to enter a spacious white room. There wasn’t much inside, save for a long table and an assortment of chairs, but the room more than made up for this by having windows instead of walls, allowing a magnificent view of the city and surrounding landscape below.

“Feel free to make yourselves comfortable.” The masked man said. “We will return when the Empress is ready to see you.”

With that said, the man and the other soldiers turned to take their leave, but a sudden thought occurred to Rex. “Wait!” He gasped. “How long is this gonna take? We promised Gramps we’d be back in an hour and if we don’t go back soon he’s gonna get worried.”

“Gramps…?”

Pyra stepped forward. “He’s the titan we rode here on. We left him to rest in a lake nearby the plains you found us in.”

The man looked at Rex. His mask was still on, yet Rex could still feel the confusion emanating from him. “And he’s your grandfather?”

Rex shrugged. “I’m adopted.”

There was a long pause.

“…. We can send someone to relay a message.” The masked man finally said. “Now, is there anything else we should know?”

“Uh, nope.” Rex scratched his head quizzically. He sure hoped there wasn’t, at least. “Thanks for sending the message.”

The soldiers did not offer a response, turning around and filing out of the room.

Once they were all gone, Nia immediately went for the door.

“Nia? Where you going? Bird people said to wait.” Tora said.

The gormotti girl ignored him, frowning as she moved a hand along the surface of the door; it was completely flat, not moving an inch. “Damn it.” She cursed. “I think they locked it.”

“Well, yeah. It’d be kind of weird if they didn’t.” Mythra said. She walked towards the edge of the room, peeking out through the window and into the city below. “At least we’ve got a nice view.”

Nia pouted, turning away from the door and sitting herself into one of the room’s many chairs. “How are you all completely calm about this?” She said angrily. “We’ve just gotten ourselves locked up by a bunch of strangers out in the _middle of nowhere_. Yeah, sure, they’re being civil right _now_ , but what’s gonna happen if things get nasty, eh? Honestly, did _anyone_ else think about this for more than two seconds?”

Dromarch padded over to his driver, standing before to serve as a calming presence. She absentmindedly gave him a pat on the head. “Now now, my lady.” He chided. “I understand how you feel. But please try to remain calm. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions just yet.”

“Dromarch’s right.” Pyra added. “If they truly wanted to hurt us, don’t you think they would’ve done so by now?”

Rex nodded. “Let’s just meet with this Empress, and see what happens from there. If things start looking dicey, we’ll make a break for it. Okay?”

Nia huffed, clearly displeased, but kept her silence.

And so began the wait.

**///**

“You _escorted them into the capital_?!” Tyrea’s voice was shrill, undoubtedly reaching beyond even the thick walls of Melia’s private chambers. Had she been a few years younger, Melia was sure the ex-assassin would have skewered Maxis right then and there. “What were you thinking?”

Maxis, thankfully, didn’t take much offense. “I was _thinking_ that it would be easier to get answers out of them by treating them with respect.” He said, standing his ground. “They put their weapons away as soon as they realized they could speak with us. A good lot of them look like children. I think they’re just confused, as we are.”

“And was that it? Did you even stop to consider what would happen if they changed their minds and attacked whilst inside the capital?” Tyrea boomed. “Surely a veteran of the Imperial Guard would know better than to let his guard down just because his enemy doesn’t _look_ threatening!”

“Tyrea, please.” Melia placed a hand on the other girl’s shoulder. It did little to comfort her, but it was at least an attempt. Tyrea was absolutely seething with rage, but Melia couldn’t exactly blame her.

Maxis smartly decided to avoid upsetting Tyrea any further and instead turned his attention to Melia. “Lady Melia. What do you think? Will you hold an audience with these people?”

The newly-crowned empress frowned, a hand instinctively reaching her chin as she processed her thoughts. A part of her was agreeing with Tyrea. What _had_ Maxis been thinking, inviting not only complete and total strangers into the palace, but ones who had crossed the Endless Sea and claimed to be from a place that didn’t exist? It sounded like pure nonsense. Furthermore, an attack on the capital now, while it’s defenses were still weak and the people still recovering from the war, had the potential to be devastating.

Yet another part of her knew that he’d done the right thing. So far, there hadn’t been any sign of a threat. It didn’t mean they were trustworthy, not yet, but it was as good a start as any. The situation reminded Melia much of when she’d traveled to the Mechonis with her closest friends. If she had learned anything from that journey, it was the importance of empathy and communication. Of understanding another’s point of view and trying to learn from it.

Yes. Maxis was right. Melia needed to talk with these strangers herself. “I will.” She nodded. “Allow me to make preparations, and I will be in the throne room shortly. I’ll ask you to bring them in once I am ready.”

Maxis gave a short bow, then turned to leave the two women as they were.

Tyrea was sneering at Melia. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am.” Melia made her way over to the vanity sitting in her room. It had been a while since she’d kept up with her appearance, being far too busy with the restoration effort. Her people, as well, weren’t as concerned of it as they would’ve been in the past. The war and rebirth of the world had changed more than just the land; the once-proud and secluded High Entia had evolved and adopted a much more friendly and down-to-earth attitude. Melia had to admit that she appreciated this new change to their culture, where she was free to bond with her subjects on a more personal level.

But, if she was to meet with new people who claimed to be from another land, she needed to look the part of a powerful empress, both in appearance and mannerisms. Immaculate, a commanding presence; just like her father had drilled into her head for years.

“Does it bother you this much?” Melia asked, sitting herself down in front of the mirror and unwinding her braids.

Tyrea sighed, sitting at the edge of Melia’s bed and watching the other girl work through the kinks and knots that had gathered in her hair. “Of course it does,” She said. “All of this talk about these… _things_ showing up on the shoulder, and we’re just sitting here welcoming them with open arms. It doesn’t sit right with me.” The ex-assassin was staring at her hands now, and Melia could see her face soften. “… I’m worried.” She admitted.

It was a rare moment for Tyrea to open up with her vulnerabilities; even now, after the two had had months to repair their relationship and form a close bond. Melia couldn’t help but appreciate the moment, despite the circumstances.

She smiled softly, reaching a hand out to place on Tyrea’s knee. “I am too.” Melia said. “But I feel this is the right thing to do. Jumping to conclusions out of fear will only lead us further down a path of danger. If there is any chance these people can be peacefully reasoned with, then it is my responsibility, as Empress, to try.”

Tyrea was silent as she processed Melia’s words, her frown slowly weakening. She gave a half-hearted chuckle. “Well spoken, Empress. I’ll leave you to it, then.” She said, standing up from her seat. “I’m going back to Colony 9 tonight to check in on Teelan. Do you want me to pass along a message?”

Melia smiled fondly, thinking of their family back in the colony. Since the rebirth of the world, Colony 9 had become a center for technological development, thanks to the Homs, High Entia, and Machina who had come together for the rebuilding effort. It was the perfect place for Teelan to build a new laboratory, and Melia loved using it as an excuse to make frequent trips back to the colony.

It wasn’t as if the empress _never_ got to see her friends (they had just visited last week, actually), but she would often find herself missing their company. As much as Melia loved being back home in the capital and supporting her people, a part of her longed for the closeness she shared with the others during their travels and the year she lived in Colony 9.

Perhaps, one day, Melia could convince them to move to Alcamoth and live in the Imperial Palace with her. But that was a selfish thought, and Melia chided herself for it.

“Could you tell them about our new visitors? They ought to know.” Melia said. “Also… that I miss them.”

Tyrea snorted. “You’re such a sap.”

**///**

Melia had finished her preparations within the hour. She stepped into the throne room, a pang of sadness reaching her as she stared at the empty throne (her father should have been standing there, not her). The girl quickly pushed the negative thoughts aside and stepped onto the throne, looking to one of the soldiers occupying the room. “Tell Captain Maxis that I’m ready to see our visitors.”

The guard nodded silently, exiting the room.

As she waited, Melia busied herself with making last-minute adjustments to her appearance. Smoothing her skirt, fiddling with her wings, checking her hair ties.

Thankfully, she didn’t have to wait long before Maxis strolled through the entryway of the throne room. Following behind him was a motley crew of strange people; the visitors, no doubt.

A few of them, at least, looked normal. A short homs boy, with brown hair and a youthful face. He had little regard for the somber mood of the room, looking at the architecture all around him, a sense of wonder shining in his eyes. There was a nopon as well, and judging from his size, he looked to be around the same age as Chief Dunga, which Melia found a little odd. Stranger still was the clothes the nopon wore, resembling something that a homs would be more likely to wear.

Following behind the nopon was most definitely a machine. Melia was intrigued; this was certainly no machina. The design was too crude, and the body was too short. Yet the machine was clearly modeled to resemble something similar, with the main frame of her body shaped like a machina and her face built to look like a young girl.

There was also another girl, who looked very close to being a homs, but the set of cat ears perched directly on her head served as a dead giveaway that she wasn’t. Melia actually found them to be quite cute, wondering how they would feel if she touched them, but she quickly banished the inappropriate thought.

Trailing along next to the girl was a creature she had never seen before. She could identify it as being some sort of feline, yet nothing like any species she knew. Pieces of armor were wrapped around the beast’s body, a shining blue crystal embedded in the chest piece. There was a certain look in the creature’s eyes, one that alluded to a calm wisdom. Was this beast sentient?

Melia supposed she’d find out soon enough. Moving onwards, she turned her eyes to the last two people to enter the throne room.

And suddenly, she couldn’t breathe.

They looked enough like homs, at a first glance. Save for the hair and eyes, their faces were identical, and were no doubt twins of some sort. But none of that caught her eye.

What concerned her were the matching green crystals embedded into their armor, shining bright and on full display for Melia to see. It didn’t matter that they were different colors; the size, shape, and luster were all too familiar. Melia would’ve been a fool if she couldn’t recognize it.

_Alvis._

Her mind was racing with possibilities and swarming with questions. Just who exactly _were_ these people? Did they know Alvis, did they know those girls were related to him somehow? What did those crystals even mean, anyways? Was it an indication of power?

Perhaps, had the divine seer still been here, he could have given her the answers. But no one had seen Alvis since the rebirth of the world, not even Shulk. Truthfully, Melia had been glad about it. While she now knew the truth behind the seer’s existence and the intentions behind his actions, a part of Melia was still holding on to the rage she felt as his betrayal. Alvis had sworn to serve the royal family, had truly fooled everyone around him into believing he always had the High Entia’s best interests at heart. Kallian, in particular, held the seer in the highest esteem. Melia was not blind to the way her brother would blush in the other man’s presence, the way he would say nothing but praises for the seer and how the two would steal kisses from one another whenever they believed no one was looking.

And Alvis had known, the entire time, of the fate that would befall her brother and her kin, and _had done nothing_ _to prevent it._

Thinking about it all over again made Melia seethe with rage. She dug her nails into her palms, forcefully grounding herself in the present. It wouldn’t be right of her to judge these girls based off the actions of someone else, especially when she had no actual, definitive proof they were related. The empress could think about the past later; for now, she had to focus on the present.

In the time spent lost in her own thoughts, the group of visitors had crossed the throne room and were now kneeling in front of her.

“You may stand.” Melia said.

The visitors did so gladly, raising themselves off the ground to get a better look at Melia. The young homs boy had his brows furrowed. “Um…” He trailed off, as if he couldn’t find the right words to say.

Melia didn’t fault him for it. They were strangers, after all, and Melia wasn’t sure how much information she could dig out of them. She’d have to choose her words carefully, as well. “Forgive us if our treatment of you has caused any offense. My people have been through much hardship, and we are wary of outsiders.”

“That’s okay.” The boy was quick to say. He sheepishly rubbed at the back of his neck. “We didn’t mean to freak you guys out or anything. I promise we’re not here to hurt anyone.” His speech was a touch informal for addressing royalty, but Melia could tell from the light in his eyes that the boy was just trying to be honest.

She smiled reassuringly, pleased at his openness. “Then allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Melia Antiqua, Empress of the High Entia. Welcome to Alcamoth.”

The homs boy smiled. “Thanks! My name’s Rex.” He turned towards his other companions, pointing to each of the people accompanying him. “This is Nia, Dromarch, Tora, Poppi, Pyra, and Mythra.”

_Pyra and Mythra_. So those were their names.

“And what brings all of you to the Shoulder?” Melia asked.

Rex frowned. “Well, y’see, um… we heard these rumors, about a land out beyond Alrest, and no one had ever seen or heard of anything like that before. So we wanted to see for ourselves. Actually, a lot of people are out looking for this place right now.”

“I see,” Melia said. She placed a hand on her chin, deep in thought. “And this ‘Alrest’ you speak of. It is your home?”

“… Do you not believe us?” A small voice piped up. It was one of the crystal-clad girls, her hair as red as fire. She sounded almost fearful, catching Melia off-guard. The empress had to admit, she was expecting the two to be much more self-assured, just as Alvis had been.

Melia shook her head. “I believe your appearances are proof enough of your words.” She gave a pointed look to Nia, Dromarch, and Poppi. “The only races I know of are the Homs, Nopon, Machina, and us High Entia. I have never seen anyone or anything like the three of you before.”

“Really?!” Rex looked at her incredulously. “… I guess it makes sense, though. Aside from the Nopon, we’ve never heard of any of those races you just said.”

The boy had never heard of a Homs? How strange, as he looked identical to one. “So, then might I ask what you are?” She inquired.

Rex smiled, gesturing both to himself and the cat-eared girl. “Nia and I are both human, though we look a little different because we’re different races. Nia is a gormotti, and I’m leftherian.” Continuing on, he looked towards the feline creature, as well as the two mysterious girls. “Dromarch, Pyra, and Mythra are all blades, and Poppi’s an artificial blade.”

“Blades…?” Melia found herself saying. The idea of a ‘human’ hadn’t bothered her so much; perhaps because they looked so much like homs that she was subconsciously thinking of the two as related. Yet, she knew nothing and could make no guesses as to what a ‘blade’ was supposed to be. The feline, the machine, and the two girls looked vastly different from each other, how could they possibly be the same species?

The red-headed girl, Pyra, decided to interject once more. “Blades are beings that are awoken from a core crystal, once they resonate with a driver.”

“Except for Poppi, who is artificial blade. Poppi was built by Tora-pon.” The machine interjected.

If that was supposed to serve as a sufficient explanation, the two girls had done a horrible job at it. And did that Poppi girl just say she was _built_ by the nopon? It wasn’t exactly unheard of for nopon native to regions such as the colonies and Alcamoth to have experiences with machines, but for this one to be capable of _building another person?_

Melia was even more confused than she was before. “Please elaborate.” The empress asked politely.

Rex looked at her, absolutely dumbfounded. Melia decided she did not like having this boy look at her like she was an idiot, but she held her tongue.

“Well, uh, okay.” Rex frowned, as if trying to figure out the right words to use. “In Alrest, there’s these blue gems, called core crystals. Humans can take these and resonate with them, and when they do, a blade emerges from the crystal.” He gestured to the glowing gem in Dromarch’s chestplate, as well as the green crystals carried by Pyra and Mythra. “Blades are sorta like living weapons, so humans who resonate with them are called drivers, because they use the blades’ powers to fight.”

“I see.” Melia simply said. Though the truth of the matter was that she really didn’t. She felt almost like she was in Shulk’s laboratory, with the homs passionately picking up every stray bit and bob to explain its function to her. And while she loved listening to him prattle about the things he loved, she often had a hard time keeping up with it all. From what she understood, the machine, feline, and two girls were all the same species because they were born from crystals and considered living weapons?

“And this ‘Alrest’ place,” Melia continued. “What is it like?”

“It’s a really big land, much bigger than this one.” Rex said. “There’s a continent in the center called Elysium, and on the outskirts are all kinds of different titans that fused with the land. We all mostly live on the titans, since that’s where all the nations are located, but plenty of people have started settling in Elysium, too.”

They had come from other titans? It felt impossible to think that there were titans out there other than the Bionis and the Mechonis, but the proof was staring right her right in the face. And if people were living on them, then it was only natural to find out that they had their own nations and culture too.

Yet that would also mean Melia needed to start planning for the eventual moment when she would have to interact with these nations; if her people and these foreigners were to get along peacefully, there was no doubt that politics were about to come into play very soon. And Judging from what Rex said about all the people out there who were currently searching for the shoulder, Melia wouldn’t have much time to prepare.

Melia frowned, desperately trying to process all the new information given to her. One thing was starting to become more clear to her, at least; Alrest almost sounded like it was a completely different world. The thought only raised even more questions for Melia, but whatever was going on had much bigger implications than anyone had originally thought. This was an issue that was not going to be solved in a day.

Too distracted by her own thoughts, Melia almost failed to notice that the visitors standing in her throne room were starting to shift uncomfortably. They were surely nervous about Melia’s sudden silence, and what it was going to mean for them.

She sighed in resignation. While she still had so many more questions, it was unfair of her to keep them in such stressful circumstances. They were still children, after all. “Forgive me. I need some time to think on this new information before I can decide how best to proceed.”

Rex, surprisingly, just kept smiling at her. “Of course! We understand.”

Melia couldn’t help but give him a soft smile in return. This boy really was nothing but genuine, and she found herself appreciating this quality in him. “Thank you. I will inform you as soon as I have made any decisions. Until then, you are free to stay in the Whitewing Palace and explore Alcamoth at your own leisure.”

**Author's Note:**

> Some things to note that may not properly get explained within the fic itself:
> 
> 1\. The ending of XB2 takes place at the same time the rift from Future Connected first opens. I don't care how dumb that is it's convenient for the plot and time is an illusion anyways
> 
> 2\. I will Die before I make Poppi refer to Tora as "Masterpon." If I make any kind of reference to Tora's weird as fuck maid fetish or whatever just know it will always be intended as a mean-spirited joke at that little shitter's expense.
> 
> 3\. The XB2 DLC didn't happen, nobody knows who each other is (yet).
> 
> Anyways! Thanks for reading y'all :)


End file.
